Year || 503 Season || Fall Temp || 35℉ (℃) - 69℉ (℃) Weather || The iron grip of Summer has slowly faded into the gentler Fall embrace. The morning dew frosts over in the early morning hours and melts by the time the sun hits high in the sky. Many of the trees have traded their lush, vivid green for a more suitable array of red and orange hues. But don't blink, for Winter's cold embrace is fast upon Fall's heels.

"Are there lines she's crossing? Should she toe them or touch them with a pole and stay away wholly? But to avoid such a storm he offers, such a taste of life; to withhold herself from the chance to taste starlight, to love satin and silk and swallow pomegranate seeds not yet offered... She should be stronger." — Moira in Small as a wish in a well

The stretching horizon wavered beneath the hot, all-consuming rays of the sun. There was not a single trace of any breeze nor was there any signs of approaching storms. Beneath the ruthless heat of the sun, an ash draped minx glided across the dunes of sand. She moved as though she were the fluid the sands had so desperately craved. Effy was born to excel in this type of climate, literally. The Arab descended minx laughed to herself at the thought. She would excel here, especially now that she knew her snake of a sister was here. Travelers passing her had confirmed this to her, and all that was left was for her to join up a kingdom. She'd sought one that boasted the heat of the sun, a replacement for the poor bastards of Reth that cast her out. Next on her list would be to destroy her sister, a traitor of Reth. No matter her feelings for their homeland, she hated her sister far more. At least Effy had been cast out, without a choice. If given a chance, she'd return and claim the throne from the pathetic king that sat upon it. She'd burn Reth to the ground with her fury, and ascend to Goddess of the Sun if she had her way. Xamis could be made to bow, that she was sure of.

As Effy carried on over the hot sands, the sheen of sweat upon her pelt became more pronounced, both in the realm of visibility, and the sensation of a dampness of her pelt upon her ash stained back. The silver that dangled from her neck was nearly hot enough to burn her neck, each lick across her flesh was hot. Each time it danced away, the front of her nape was granted a temporary relief. A mirage-like figure wavered into view as she crested the top of a particularly large dune. She blinked forcefully, the sand tumbling down her face as though they were tears she'd wept as she wandered the barren desert. The image before her steadied, informing her that it was indeed an ancient structure made of stone. A triumphant smile slithered across her carefully etched face. This was what she'd been searching for, despite all the warning's she'd been given by travelers. They didn't believe she'd make it, not knowing the landscape and seemingly appearing weaker than she was to them. Effy was a child of the sun, and she found it laughable that they thought she could not bear its ruthless nature.

Efphion approached a large opening in the wall that she assumed was the entrance. The walls were coated in a thick dust and were worn from the sandstorms that surely swept over this region. As she breached the walls of the structure she called out. "I demand the presence of your leader! I am home." Effy's voice echoed off the walls, and structures within the city that seemed to be asleep in the heat of the midday sun. She waited in her solitude, sure that she would not be alone long. "The mouth of the city sleeping midday. Who will greet a former queen?" She mused aloud now, begging for anyone to gain enough interest to come and lead her home. Effy wasn't leaving, she'd made up her mind about living here with her treacherous journey here.

"Speech"
Notes: First Effy Post! Listing as M for swearing and possible violence (which is very welcomed!)
Tags: OPEN | @Seraphina
Words: 560

I SLEEP NO MORE

and die again

Effy is pathologically violent and is likely to attack even unprovoked.

In the still heat of the desert, even the shadows dare not to move. Even when Eik steps forward, he manages to pass from shadow to light without stirring either. This is his home now, and he knows it in and out. Just as he once could walk through the forest without making a sound, he now moves about the day court with the ease of the sun itself.

Eik comes to a halt before the unfamiliar mare, and he stands tall but not necessarily proud. He seems comfortable, even drenched in sweat and sand. "Solterrans don't take well to demands." He says, not unkindly. If anything, he is humored by the striking woman. By first impressions she seems everything the emissary is not: demanding, dramatic, loud. But although they are not cut from the same cloth, they are both wet with their own sweat, both wrung like sponges beneath the light and heat of the sun.

There is something to be said for how everything is made equal beneath the harsh stare of Solis.

"The sovereign is busy at the moment." An assumption, not a lie. He knows Seraphina will come, if she has the time. If she does not, this... former queen will unfortunately have to settle for the emissary. "What brings you to Solterra?" He looks at her intently with dark eyes and then hesitates, unsure how much welcome to extend this stranger until he knows her motives. Eik remembers being a newcomer here. This land was so strange and unwelcoming he almost kept walking, back across the treacherous Mors and to gods know where next. Death, most likely. "Come, you must be thirsty." He beckons with a subtle nod of his head and leads her across the wide entryway to where troughs of water sit in the shade of the southern wall. Almost as if an afterthought, he adds- "I'm Eik. Emissary."

- - -There is no better way to know usE I Kthan as two wolves, come separately to a wood

Like smoke he appeared before her, his form fit well into the landscape that surrounded them. Efphion's eyes flashed dangerously as he spoke to her, gently telling her that Solterrans did not appreciate demands. Her violent smile tore a rift through her features. There was a minuscule sensation of satisfaction that she had been right where she wanted to be. "No? Is that because your kin are used to making demands?" Effy challenged him smugly, though the dappled beast was polite. Silence passed through the space between them, it was carried with the arid winds that swept down from the heavens. The realm of all that she served, but above all, she served the sun. Her companion informed her that the one that commanded the legions of Solterra was occupied. Annoyance flashed across her features like an abrupt thunderstorm appearing during summer. Her violent gaze did not leave the dappled beast. Effy had just enough patience to allow him a chance to make up for the displeasing news he'd just poured over her.

He asked what brought her to Solterra. "Did I stutter? I braved the violent deserts, and the threat of extinction to join the realm of the sun. I am the Wrath of the Sun, Efphion. Daughter of Reth. The one whose fury rivals the wrath of Xamis." The ashen maiden spoke with a great pride, the words she spoke she believed wholeheartedly. Even though Effy did not belong to Reth, she would always be a daughter. She would always have a violent storm inside that rivaled the fury of a god. Effy recognized his contemplation, and wariness about her. Clever, she thought in the palpable silence. He finally relented and spoke first, inviting her to quench her thirst. Efphion had not realized how parched her throat was until he said those words. It was as if she was suddenly aware that her mouth felt as though it were just as full of sand as the desert outside the Solterran walls.

Efphion trailed behind him, his cautious demeanor seemed to be quelling the virulent anger that made up her soul. Effy plunges her muzzle into the troughs when they reach them, her auds twitching towards him as he introduces himself. The ash and silver adorn soldier pulled her head from the water. She did not utter her gratitude but did give a silent nod to Eik. "Does that mean you field newcomers in the absence of the Sovereign? Do I have to complete any trials to join your militia? Your realm?" She asked, though her words edged once more on the edge of sounding like demands. Effy was actually trying to be civil.

"Speech"
Notes: I'm happy for characters to be aware of Reth if you'd like <3
Tags: OPEN | @Seraphina (I'm gonna keep this tag her for you because you're still very welcome!) @Eik
Words: 445

I SLEEP NO MORE

and die again

Effy is pathologically violent and is likely to attack even unprovoked.

The violence in her smile twists her face into something vicious but not entirely ugly. "Is that because your kin are used to making demands?" He tilts his head, that phrase- your kin- chafing like a collar round his throat. He thinks carefully of how to respond-- she is close to the truth, he gives her that much, but not quite there. "It is because Solterrans are proud."

He wonders what it is that draws violence and pride to this place, time and time again. And he wonders once more how he (humble and weary, crumbled by sand and time) ended up here of all places. Oh, he wanders like no other- he's always prodded at the edge of the horizon, always needed to know what lies on the other side, but it is this place he always returns to. Is it the little family he's begun to weave together out of acquaintances and friends? Or is it that something else, that ancient mystery buried in the sand, that obelisk which beckons to him without end?

(it pulses with patient longing, dark and violent, cadence just barely slower than the slurred thump-thump of his heart)

Every man has secrets inside of him, unknown even to himself, and Eik suspects that not even the gods know why some people are the way they are. All he can do is wonder.

"Did I stutter?-"

She is violent and proud, like most who seek this place out-- his ears lower in distaste, patience worn thin by recent events and thinner by the obtrusive heat. Her words are daggers but he will not bleed. "How much do you know of this place, Efphion, daughter of Reth?" There is something half laughing in his tone- the other half is mockery, perhaps, or disdain. But he was never good at being cruel or even rude, and he does not intend offense. "Why brave extinction to come here?" Is it glory she seeks? Or maybe a violent, pointless death? He thinks of king Maxence, plucked from the sky and carried away without a shred of dignity. Solterra strips everyone down to the core of what they really are- he wonders what she's like, beneath the sneer and scorn. Solid like iron or weak and brittle as bone?

Again, all he can do is wonder.

He stands there while she takes a long drink and wonders also if she has too many expectations to ever feel gratitude. He hadn't realized he had expected thanks until he did not receive it. Interesting. As much as she rubs him the wrong way, he is curious about where she came from and how she was raised, to act the way she does. "Yes, you just get me. No trials." The desert has its own way of weeding out those who do not pull their weight. He looks to the court, hoping distantly that Seraphina will appear and relieve him of his obligations. "Although-- If you wish to prove yourself in battle, I could introduce you to the arena." He points with his muzzle in the direction of the training grounds, a small, sly smile on his features. In truth he did not feel like sparring in the middle of the day, but the stranger's attitude is inspiring a change of heart.

- - -There is no better way to know usE I Kthan as two wolves, come separately to a wood

Effy had been pleased by his cocked visage at her initial question. She could see the discomfort, or at least she thought she did. Eik remained silent, and his thoughtfulness allowed her to wait and poise her own response. He spoke of the pride that Solterran's carried within. Her golden gaze softened slightly, it was impossible to tell if she admired such pride or found it amusing. "As are the children of Reth. Does my prideful demeanor make your skin recoil?" Effy's words were almost taunting as she spoke to him, but she had reigned in her usual aggression that would follow such a question. The dark maiden did not flinch beneath his gaze, she returned any gaze he gave her. The storm inside her seemed to have reached a stasis for the moment. Eik was interesting, and not like others she knew. He was not so prideful, and often chewed on the words he wanted to say much longer than most Rethian soldiers. Eik questioned her about her knowledge of Solterra. Effy narrowed her eyes in response to his question, her dangerous smirk tearing that rift through her facade again.

His words bit into her, and they stirred her turbulent core. "A proud kingdom etched into the desert sands and stones. I know that Solterra serves the deity of the Sun. Violent. Proud. It is a mirror of my homeland." She answered him, her words precise and each was punctuated so that he could not mistake even a syllable she uttered. Eik asked why she dared brave the unforgiving desert to come here. A bitter laugh escaped her maw, she couldn't help it. "It proves my determination, and dedication. Do you think the average equine would survive the trek? I came to become a daughter of Solterra. I am the fury that each army breathes down the neck of their enemies. I don't know why you keep rephrasing the same question. I came to join Solterra. I serve the sun, and as your kingdom serves the sun, I will serve your kingdom. Religious sanctuary and reasons. Does that sate you?" She hissed, her irritation was swelling once again.

Effy had noticed Eik's own flashes of irritation, and part of her took satisfaction in the fact that she was most likely the cause of it. His response was shorter than before. A smirk tore it's way across her face once more. "Do not think your honesty will offend me. If there is no requirements nor tests I need to join, then don't indulge me simply because it is your duty. I already get the feeling that you disdain my very existence. Is that true? It wouldn't be the first time, nor will it be the last time. I don't care what the world thinks of me. At least you get authentic with a bitch like me." She laughed viciously as her words faded away. The bleached stag invited her to the arena, and excitement ignited her frame like lightning that streaked through the sky. "Keep speaking my language and I might just be making nightly visits to you. I'll enter the arena if you will be my opponent. Otherwise, I will gladly accept a tour." She laughed again, her demeanor was still violent but at least she was comfortable enough to joke with him.

"Speech"
Notes: Sorry for the wait and awful post
Tags: OPEN | @Seraphina (I'm gonna keep this tag her for you because you're still very welcome!) @Eik
Words: 554

I SLEEP NO MORE

and die again

Effy is pathologically violent and is likely to attack even unprovoked.

Eik thinks it over before answering, as is his way. "Of course not." He is, after all, used to living among proud people. Some of them he's even grown quite fond of-- others, he keeps his distance. Where he grew up, pride was no sin-- not that it stopped him from striving toward humility. Eik was always an odd child, preferring to be alone with his thoughts and constantly reaching for some vague, shimmery morals that nobody else cared about. In his childhood, and of course even now, there were far worse things than pride.

Solterra is too full of traitors and shady characters for him to fully believe anyone's backstory, but he grudgingly accepts hers for now. He doesn't have much other choice- it is not in his nature to deny others the opportunity he himself was given- the chance for shelter, and community, and a new beginning.

(He was new here once, and did not receive such patient welcome. The edge of his lip curls up in wry amusement at the memory- but that is a tale for another day.)

Her satisfaction at his irritation is not lost on him. In response, Eik draws in his thoughts and feelings and letting the curtain fall before them. He is calm passivity now, and though he may still feel annoyed he sure as hell isn't going to reveal that to her.

"At least you get authentic with a bitch like me," she finishes her rant. He snorts. "You have so much energy," he admits. "It isn't a bad thing, applied the right way." He shrugs, and that is all he has to say. Eik is long-winded only among friends or when intoxicated. The rest of his thoughts are communicated through a glance and an expression and perhaps even a bit of telepathy he does not realize he has yet- "You act like a child, and you could be so much more."

Her attention flares in a way he finds amusing at the mention of a fight. She just crossed a desert and she's ready to trade blows in the arena? How intriguing.

"Keep speaking my language and I might just be making nightly visits to you--" He doesn't hear her next few words as his brain is caught up processing what it is she's saying. "Huh?" He realizes then that she is joking (please gods let her be joking) and he shakes his head sheepishly. "Well come along then," he gestures deeper into the court before turning to lead the way with a swaying, dignified walk. "We'll fight later. I want you rested for it." He glances at her with an uncharacteristically playful grin. "You'll need it."

- - -There is no better way to know usE I Kthan as two wolves, come separately to a wood

@Efphion bleh not my greatest but I wanted to finally get a reply posted for you! I am looking forward to their next encounter! <3